1. Field of the Invention
The claimed invention generally relates to a method-enabling device or system of devices for notifying a package recipient of a package's arrival. More particularly, the present invention relates to a system and method for notifying a package recipient of a package's arrival as enabled by close-range radio frequency transmissions intermediate a mobile package carrier and a stationary package destination.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Personal Digital Assistants (PDA's) are handheld devices that were originally designed as personal organizers, but became much more versatile over the years. The many uses and tasks of a basic PDA include use as a calculator, use as a clock, use as a calendar, use as a gaming device, use for accessing the Internet, use for sending and receiving electronic mail or e-mail, use as a radio or stereo, use as a video recorder, use for recording notes, use as an address book, and use as a spreadsheet. Current state of the art PDA's also have both color screens and audio capabilities, enabling them to be used as mobile phones (PDA Phone), web browsers or media players. Many PDA's can access the Internet, intranets or extranets via Wi-Fi, or Wireless Wide-Area Networks (WWAN's).
A personal area network (PAN) is a computer network used for communication among computer devices (including telephones and personal digital assistants) close to one person, the reach or radius of which is typically on the order of a few meters. Personal area networks can be used for communication among the personal devices themselves (intrapersonal communication), or for connecting to a higher level network and the Internet (an uplink). Personal area networks may be wired with computer buses such as USB and FireWire. A wireless personal area network (WPAN) can also be made possible with network technologies such as IrDA and Bluetooth.
Notably, Bluetooth is an industrial specification for wireless personal area networks (PAN's), also known as IEEE 802.15.1. Bluetooth provides a way to connect and exchange information between devices like personal digital assistants (PDA's), mobile phones, laptops, personal computers (PC's), printers, digital cameras and video game consoles such as the Wii via a secure, globally unlicensed short range radio frequency. When installed in a plurality of wireless communications devices, such as personal digital assistants and the like, it is conceivable that Bluetooth may enable users thereof to foster package delivery notification. Bearing this notion in mind, it is noted that the prior art relating to systems and methods for notifying package recipients of a package's arrival is somewhat well developed. In this regard, certain prior art patents relating to methods and systems for notifying package recipients and the like of a package's arrival are briefly described hereinafter.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,356,196 ('196 patent), for example, which issued to Wong et al., discloses a Verified Receipt, Notification, and Theft Deterrence of Courier-Delivered Parcels. The '196 patent teaches an alarm unit and a separate alert unit. The Alarm Unit is securely affixed to the parcel before the parcel is left at the delivery site, and the Alert Unit is placed at a secure site that is within radio range of the delivery site. The Alarm Unit is armed by the deliveryman upon depositing the parcel at the delivery site, and arming of the Alarm Unit results in the transmission of messages verifying to the seller or delivery agent that delivery has taken place and notifying the purchaser or intended recipient that the parcel has arrived. Movement of the parcel after it has been deposited at the delivery site and has been armed results in messages being transmitted to the shipping agent and to the intended recipient announcing that the parcel has been stolen. Such unauthorized movement of the parcel also activates a very loud audible alarm affixed to the parcel and activates a tracking beacon in or on the parcel, permitting the whereabouts of the parcel to be determined or tracked. The intended recipient of the parcel, after being notified of its delivery can disarm the Alarm Unit by inserting a secret number into a keypad on the Alarm Unit and then pressing a disarm button. Upon being disarmed, the Alarm Unit generates a signal that causes the Alert Unit to notify the seller and the delivery agent that an authorized person has taken possession of the parcel, thereby verifying receipt.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,404,337 ('337 patent), which issued to Van Till et al., discloses a System and Method for Providing Access to Unattended Storage. The '337 patent teaches a system comprising a first transmitter for placing an order for an item with a merchant; a second transmitter for transmitting a request for a pick-up of the item; a tracking information generator for generating tracking information in response to a request for a pick-up of the item; a transceiver for receiving and transmitting the tracking information; a memory for storing the tracking information; a third transmitter for transmitting the tracking information to a storage device a comparator for comparing the tracking information transmitted to the storage device to the tracking information stored in the memory; and a digital signature generator for creating a digital signature. In another embodiment of the present invention, a method of providing remote access to a storage device is described. The method includes the steps of transmitting tracking information to a storage device; and gaining access to an interior of the storage device if the tracking information transmitted to the storage device matches tracking information stored in a memory.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,634,551 ('551 patent), which issued to Barta et al., discloses a Delivery Notice and Method of Using Same. The '551 patent teaches a single unique delivery notice for leaving behind at a particular location. However, just before it is left, this notice is electronically “linked” to the parcel(s) which were undeliverable. This can be done by a handheld portable data acquisition device which includes a conventional scanning means, allowing information to be scanned from the delivery notice as well as labels on the parcels, and stored on the handheld portable data acquisition device. If ten parcels were undeliverable, only one delivery notice is left behind but is electronically “linked” to all ten packages. The intended recipient can then contact the delivery service via the internet (or other suitable network) or by phone, by using information provided on the delivery notice. By providing the delivery service with unique information from the delivery notice, the intended recipient can get valuable information regarding the undelivered parcels. Such information can include shipper name, how many packages from each shipper, time of attempted delivery, COD status, etc. Arrangements can then be made to have the package(s) redelivered, held at a local operation center, redirected, or returned.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,764,012 ('012 patent), which issued to Connolly et al., discloses a Signaling Arrangement for and Method of Signaling in a Wireless Local Area Network. The '012 patent teaches a signaling arrangement and method for use in a wireless local area network as managed by a system manager and includes a reader for electro-optically reading bar code symbols. The system manager verifies that a symbol has been successfully read and sends an acknowledgment signal by wireless, radio frequency transmission to a remote indicator operative for generating an alert signal noticeable to a user.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,967,575 ('575 patent), which issued to Dohrmann et al., discloses certain Methods and Apparatus for Unattended Pickups and Deliveries. The '575 patent teaches a secure pickup and delivery container comprising a lockable door, a control unit, an access element, and an anchoring element, according to one embodiment. The control unit includes a processing element and a memory that can be programmed either on-site or remotely with access privilege information such as identity (e.g. of container, delivery person, etc.), location, date, time, frequency of access, and/or package-specific information. In one embodiment, access privilege information is programmed when an intended recipient of a delivery consummates a point of sale transaction, for example over the Internet or telephone. The access element can be a keypad, a biometric scanner, a card reader, a bar-code reader, and/or a wireless control element to read a programmable token such as a smart card. Delivery personnel can enter access request information into the access element, and if it favorably compares with the access privilege information, the control unit unlocks the door. Notification can be concurrently made via wireline or wireless communications to the intended recipient, who may be situated remote from the secure container. The recipient can optionally return a delivery acknowledgment to the delivery personnel. Details of the delivery transaction can also be recorded electronically on the delivery personnel's token, within the container, or at a remote location.
United States Patent Application Publication No. 2002/0054370, which was authored by Hara, describes a user notification system used for a home delivery locker which a home delivery locker and a managing center for managing the home delivery locker are connected through a communication line, and information indicating that the home delivery locker has a parcel is received by the managing center, the system is characterized in that, based upon information of the receiver contained in the information, the managing center or the home delivery locker automatically delivers the parcel delivery information to the receiver through communication means such as telephone (including mobile telephone), facsimile and electronic mail. In the case of a conventional pick-up process of a parcel, it is not possible to confirm whether or not any parcel has arrived, until the receiver has come home and see a notice inside the mail post; therefore, the resulting problem is that, in the case of any urgent parcel, the receiver has to go to the mail box many times to see whether there is any notice therein.
United States Patent Application Publication No. 2003/0231112, which was authored by Raju, describes a customized mailbox is provided to customers for placement outside their home. Simple electronics, such as a display, keypad, bar-code reader, and transmitter/receiver may be contained within the mailbox. When parcel delivery is attempted, the delivery person may facilitate the notification of the user by, for example, scanning a bar code on the parcel with the bar code reader. Parcel information is then wirelessly forwarded to a service provider. The service provider may forward parcel information a mobile device or other notification mechanism as specified in user preferences. Upon receipt of the parcel delivery information, the user may, through the mobile device or other notification mechanism, approve delivery of the parcel. The service provider may then forward this approval to the electronic mailbox, where an electronic lock may be opened and the delivery person may place the parcel in the electronic mailbox.
United States Patent Application Publication No. 2003/0110170, which was authored by Matsuoka, discloses a delivery noticing system which can give a previous notice of delivery to a receiver, without notifying a delivery company of the receiver's communication address. A receiver is stored in advance in a provider database in relation to a provider used by the receiver. A central apparatus 1 accepts information related to the delivery of the receiver, retrieves the provider used by the receiver from provider database, and generates delivery noticing information based on the information related to the delivery. The central apparatus 1 transmits the generated delivery noticing information with information on the receiver to a server computer 2 of the retrieved provider. The server computer 2 retrieves a communication address from address database based on the transmitted information on the receiver, and transmits the transmitted delivery noticing information to the retrieved communication address.
United States Patent Application Publication No. 2004/0094615, which was authored by Sansone et al., describes a method that enables a receiver or receiver's agent to obtain notification of the letters, flats and/or packages that the recipient is going to receive prior to the delivery of the mail. The recipient is then able to inform a post or courier, e.g., Federal Express®, Airborne,® United Parcel Service®, DHL®, etc., of the manner in which the recipient would like the mail delivered. The post and courier, hereinafter, will be referred to as “carrier”. For instance, the recipient may want the mail physically redirected to the recipient's temporary address, or physically delivered to the recipient's agent, or physically delivered to the recipient's attorney, or physically returned to the mailer.
United States Patent Application Publication No. 2004/0149822, which was authored by Stevens et al., discloses a delivery system includes a drop box including a first transceiver, and an electronic tag associated with a package and comprising a second transceiver. The first and second transceivers wirelessly communicate with each other in order to access the drop box.
United States Patent Application Publication No. 2006/0026047, which issued to Jones, discloses a package delivery notification system reports impending package deliveries and precisely notifies recipients of when to expect the deliveries. The package delivery notification system utilizes memory, a communications device, and a system manager. Package data identifying a package that is to be delivered to a recipient is stored in the memory. The package data indicates that the recipient is to receive the package and indicates the expected time that the package is to be delivered. When the package is assigned to a vehicle that will deliver the package to a premises of the recipient, the system manager transmits, via the communications device, a notification message to the recipient. The notification message preferably indicates the approximate time that the package is expected to arrive.
It will be seen from an inspection of the foregoing United States patent disclosures that the prior art does not disclose or otherwise teach a Bluetooth-enabled package delivery notification system. The prior art thus perceives a need for a wireless communication method for notifying package recipients of package arrival, as preferably enabled by relatively inexpensive, convenient, and easy-to-use Bluetooth methodology.